A comprehensive list of tree circumambulation locations across Thailand on Magha Puja 2026. This practice replaces incense and candle offerings with meditative walking around large trees, enhancing auspiciousness while protecting the environment. Check the temple list here for details and locations nearby.
A rising trend in merit-making: here is the guide to temples and meditation centers nationwide participating in the "Tree Circumambulation" project on Magha Puja 2026. This shifts from using incense and candles to meditative walking around large trees to reduce pollution and foster spiritual calm. Check which temples are in your province.
The practice of circumambulating trees in Thailand was inspired by Buddhadasa Bhikkhu, who emphasized simplicity at Suan Mokkhaphalaram. It was elevated to a national campaign in 2018 by the "Plant Trees, Cultivate Dhamma" project, led by meditation master Phra Paisal Visalo. The campaign encourages temples across Thailand to become green spaces and invites Buddhists to make merit without harming the environment.
Magha Puja was chosen as the significant starting point because it commemorates the Buddha’s delivery of the "Ovada Patimokkha" in the bamboo grove (Veluvana Monastery), the first Buddhist monastery set in nature. Tree circumambulation thus recalls the spiritual atmosphere of enlightenment in the Buddha’s time.
According to the "Plant Trees, Cultivate Dhamma" project, here are the locations where Buddhists can join the tree circumambulation events:
Tree circumambulation is not only an environmental act but a return to the "essence" of Buddhism, recalling the Buddha’s birth, enlightenment, and passing under the shade of trees.